Complete - Heraldic Seahorse Embroidered Partlet

I finally got my heraldic seahorse partlet finished, after leaving it sitting in the Naughty Corner for quite some time. I have not been happy with how the pale lilac thread looked, and I really struggled to see it. I think the below average quality of the embroidery reflects this.

When the split and running stitch embroidery was finally complete, I was disappointed with how it all looked. I added a line of split stitch along the hemline, but it didn't look complete. I added some pale gold cotton bobbin style lace and then added a line of matching gold thread to tie in the new colour.

The seahorses actually look paler than in the photo, and I felt they needed an extra motif in gold thread to tie in the bobbin lace colour and to fill in the negative space. I added the little 'sun/seed' motif found so often in Elizabethan pattern books like Shorleyker's 'A Scholehouse For The Needle'.

I am pleased with the extra motifs and the partlet turned out better than I thought it would. I'm not sure that I will ever love it, but it was a good exercise in perseverance.

Heraldic Favour

Another project that I completed recently was a heraldic favour. It is a simple sash with a representation of my device embroidered on it.

 I marked the design out by tracing it with frixion marker.

I embroidered the design with split and satin stitch. I tried to add some texture to the satin stitch. I added a shiny black bead for the eye.

 I sewed the panel into a sash and added some gold braid at the bottom.

I made the pin by adding a hat pin to a purchased heraldic seahorse pendant.